A Late Night Appointment
by whiteliesarereal
Summary: Natasha is hurt and Bruce is once again patching her up. One shot set after Age of Ultron. Mild cussing and spoilers warning. Originally written on Wattpad as a commission for hiddenrainbowheart.


"He hates me because I can't stop bleeding all over the floor."

Tony Stark raised his eyebrows as he looked at where Natasha Romanoff sat on the table. He had just been wondering why Bruce Banner looked so tense. The man in question looked up at Black Widow, a retort on his lips.

"Maybe if you didn't keep coming to me full of bullets I wouldn't hate you as much."

"First off: it's one bullet. Second: I can clean it myself, I just can't get the damn thing out." Natasha let out a hiss as Bruce dug the tweezers in just a little too forcefully. "It's in too deep and close to the femoral artery for me to get it myself without damaging something important."

"You're lucky Tasha. By the looks of it a couple more centimeters to the left and you would have bled out before you were even a quarter of the way here." Tony remarked.

"Lucky me." Natasha rolled her eyes at the nickname and reached for the glass next to her. She lifted it up to her lips and took a long swig, the burning in her throat passing unnoticed.

Tony just watched as Bruce focused on getting the bullet out of the Black Widow. There was something going on between those two that he wanted to know more about. Ever since Bruce had returned from his little soul

* * *

searching trip from who knows where the two had been side stepping around each other. Both were careful to never be alone in the same room and when one entered the other would either leave or completely ignore the other.

This was the first time one had actively searched out the other since Ultron. The fact that it was only because Natasha had a bullet lodged in her leg did not go by unnoticed to Tony. She had originally gone to him to try to get it out before he told her he wasn't touching the thing unless she was either dead or there was no way chance of screwing her up worse.

Tony was thrown out of his musings by the tinny sound of the bullet landing in a metal tray.

The Black Widow let out a sigh and slumped over a little - the tension leaving her body. "Thanks Bruce. I can finish the job."

Bruce didn't move from his position of kneeling before her, even when she pushed against his shoulders.

"Bruce." Her voice was steel as she pushed even more firmly against his shoulders.

"You're not moving. Not until I say so."

Natasha raised a single fiery eyebrow. "Why not? What's stopping me from kicking your ass and leaving?"

"First - you're injured. Second - the other guy." Turning slightly to where Tony stood both confused and mildly shocked he said, "Tony do you mind giving us some privacy?"

"No problem man. You two look like you have some things to sort through. Just try not to destroy anything." Tony cautiously backed away and out the door, his hands raised in a placating gesture. If looks could kill Natasha's glare would've left him a pile of ashes.

"We are not talking about this." Natasha grit out after Tony left. She knew what Bruce wanted to talk about and it was a topic best left untouched. Carefully she pulled away from the table and stood up.

"Don't do that Nat. Stop trying to hide." Bruce too stood up and followed her as she made her way across the room. "And for God's sake sit back down. You're going to hurt yourself."

"Too late." Black Widow muttered under her breath. If Bruce heard her he didn't respond as he grabbed her and carefully sat her back on a table.

"Sit still and don't move."

"Yes Sir," Natasha mock saluted the doctor as he went around the room grabbing supplies to wrap her leg. "Mind grabbing the vodka too? If we're having this conversation I'm going to have to be at least a little buzzed."

Bruce sighed as he grabbed the glass she had been drinking and set it beside her. Once again he kneeled in front of her.

"Why do you keep shutting me out Nat? I thought we were getting better before Ultron happened." Bruce carefully wrapped the gauze and bandages around her upper leg.

"We were until you left." Her voice had lost the joking tone and seemed to turn brittle.

"I had to. I needed to control the thing inside of me."

"There are other ways to do that. Yoga maybe?" Another hiss escaped her as pressure was added to her leg. "And it's not a thing; its you. As much as you hate to admit it."

"Sorry," He whispered. Wisely he ignored her last statement as he continued. He didn't need to get into another fight over what to call the Hulk. "And I've already tried yoga. It didn't work."

"For fucks sake Bruce you could've at least stayed in touch. Sent a postcard. 'Hey I'm alive and well don't worry about me! Wish you were here!'"

"Come on Nat. Don't be that way." Bruce stood up so they were on the same level.

"Be what way?" She retorted.

"Difficult. Stubborn. Sarcastic." With each word Bruce took a small step closer. Although his voice remained calm, he was slightly shaking. "Like you cared about what happened to me."

"Goddammit I did Banner!" Natasha exploded, her shouts ringing in the small room. "I fucking cared about you! I fucking still do! Every single day!"

"Then why do you act like you don't?!" Now Banner was yelling too, his fists clenched. "Why do you turn the other way every time I enter the same room as you?! Why is it the only time we talk is in team meetings?! What happened to change whatever was between us?!"

The assassin realized her mistake too late as Banner's body shook uncontrollably and his eyes flashed dangerously. If he hulked out now there's no telling what destruction would follow.

"Bruce," She kept her tone low and soothing. "Calm down. Stay in control." Cautiously she placed her hand on his upper arm and traced the veins. Just like with the lullaby with the Hulk, Bruce too began to calm down. Slowly his breathing leveled out.

"I thought you had forgotten." Suddenly she spoke. At Bruce's confused look she went on. "About us and what happened at Clint's before Sokovia."

"How could I? I thought we had a chance. I was prepared to leave with you - forget about all this - before you pushed me off a cliff."

"We would've never been free. If we hadn't joined the fight when we did Sokovia might have fallen and the world destroyed." The Black Widow sighed before slowly retracting her hand from Bruce's arm and placing it in her lap.

"Maybe you're right, but did you really need to push me off a cliff?"

"Would you have let him out if I hadn't?" She smirked up at him as he smiled back.

"No. But that fight did help me realize something."

"Like?" She tilted her head and looked up at him with inquisitive eyes.

"I needed to learn how to change back on my own. How to gain control."

"I thought you were always in control."

Bruce let out a small chuckle. "I never said I was always in control. Just that I was always angry."

Natasha shrugged. "What's the difference."

A silence stretched between them for a moment. Both of them were lost in thought as they mulled over all that had been said.

"Do you think we could try again?" Bruce suddenly asked. "Try this?" He jestered between them.

"Depends. Are you going to leave so you can 'find yourself' again?"

"No. Are you going to stop getting shot?"

"Maybe." Natasha grabbed the doctors collar of his sweater and pulled him closer.

"That's a lie." He whispered against her lips. "But I'll take it."

"I adore you." She whispered back as she pulled him flush against her in a heated kiss.

Years later they would still bring up that night. How Tony had hidden behind the door and listened in while F.R.I.D.A.Y. recorded them inside the room. Bruce would still complain about the bloodstains on his favorite pair of pants while Natasha said that was what he got for kissing her after bandaging her wound.

They would still bicker from time to time of course, mainly over trivial things like Natasha staying safe on missions or Bruce staying up to long working in the lab. When they got really bad though Tony would just lock them in that same medical room with the video of that night and a couple others and after a few hours they would be fine. Of course Tony would need to buy all new equipment after each time but it was worth it to see them happy.

Or so he kept telling himself after he saw the bill.


End file.
